A friend of mine who I have known for years, having worked
together at the same company a long time ago, posted this update:
"Just got laid off. I know it's a lousy way to start a
new year. But not to worry. I have been through this drill before. I will be
okay. I've already polished my resume and am busy contacting friends and
associates."
I know he will be okay. He is a seasoned veteran of
downsizings. He knows what to do.
But how about the next person? How about you? If you were
suddenly laid off, would you know what to do?
The fact of the matter is that most people are totally
unprepared for job loss. Why should they be? It's not something they teach in
school.
And there is a lot to master quickly to be able to find
another job. As Jeff Altman often says, The skills you used when you were
working are not the skills you need to find your next job.
So what do you do? There is a long list of things. So in
this posting, I want to highlight The
First Three Things you must do before anything else.
1.Check Yourself - Are you OK? Someone once described a
sudden downsizing as being like a "drive by shooting." You want to
check yourself for bullet holes. Check your vital signs. Seriously. You may
want to visit with a trusted advisor and talk out what occurred. Job loss can
be stressful so you may want to see your doctor. Job loss can be traumatic.
Keep an eye on yourself during the days and weeks ahead to make sure you are
not suffering from any post-traumatic symptoms.
2.Check Others - You'll want to share this news with the
others closest to you in your life. Your spouse for instance, or a significant
other. Your children perhaps. Don't be surprised if they have a strong reaction
to the news. They may get even more upset than you. Everyone agrees that change
is hard. When it happens to you, the people that care about you may go on the
warpath. Or they go into a depression. You may want to seek out a professional
to help coach you though this passage if others take the news hard.
3.Check Your Situation - When you are ready, sit down
with a pad of paper (or your laptop) and do an assessment of where things stand
and the impact this job loss is going to have. Especially upon your finances.
Will you be okay financially? How long will you be able to hold out if the next
job doesn't materialize quickly? Will you need to cut expenses? Will you need
the cooperation of others to make these adjustments?
Once you have done these three things, what's next? I
recommend a Fast Start to re-employment:
Identify your Target Companies - Is there a company or other
organization that you would like to work for next? Several? Do they know you
are interested?
>> Fast Start Idea # 1 - Go directly to these employers and communicate your interest. Identify key decision makers inside these companies and send them an introductory letter. Then call them.
Use LinkedIn - Are you on LinkedIn.com? If not, consider doing so right away. It's the world's largest online professional business networking platform. And it's free. It provides you with a way to connect with others, research companies, look for jobs, and more.
>> Fast Start Idea # 2 - Connect on LinkedIn with people you know and then connect to people they know who can help you network into your target companies.
Use Indeed - Do you use an aggregator job search site like Indeed or SimplyHired? With thousands of job boards on the internet, the aggregators are a one-stop site that spiders over all of the others and delivers consolidated results that match your search terms. And it's free.
>> Fast Start Idea # 3 - Use the refinement filters on the left side of the results pages to find your target employers or similar organizations.
Identify some Recruiters - Do you know a few good recruiters (aka headhunters or executive search firms) who specialize in your field and industry? If not, ask your trusted colleagues who they would recommend.
>> Fast Start Idea # 4 - Contact several specialist recruiters to find retained searches.
>> Fast Start Idea # 1 - Go directly to these employers and communicate your interest. Identify key decision makers inside these companies and send them an introductory letter. Then call them.
Use LinkedIn - Are you on LinkedIn.com? If not, consider doing so right away. It's the world's largest online professional business networking platform. And it's free. It provides you with a way to connect with others, research companies, look for jobs, and more.
>> Fast Start Idea # 2 - Connect on LinkedIn with people you know and then connect to people they know who can help you network into your target companies.
Use Indeed - Do you use an aggregator job search site like Indeed or SimplyHired? With thousands of job boards on the internet, the aggregators are a one-stop site that spiders over all of the others and delivers consolidated results that match your search terms. And it's free.
>> Fast Start Idea # 3 - Use the refinement filters on the left side of the results pages to find your target employers or similar organizations.
Identify some Recruiters - Do you know a few good recruiters (aka headhunters or executive search firms) who specialize in your field and industry? If not, ask your trusted colleagues who they would recommend.
>> Fast Start Idea # 4 - Contact several specialist recruiters to find retained searches.
Set a clear Objective - Do you know what you want to do
next? For whom? Where?
>> Fast Start Idea # 5: Set a job search objective that includes Role, Company, and Geography.
Write your Positioning Statement - There are a lot of job hunters on the market right now, some with skills and experiences that are similar to yours. Do you know how to differentiate yourself?
>> Fast Start Idea # 6: When you are asked "Tell me about yourself," be prepared to deliver a positioning statement that goes like this:
~ About You Professionally (e.g. "I am a Human Resources professional with over 15 years experience in leadership roles...")
~ About Several of Your Key Capabilities (e.g "...with key capabilities in Training & Development, Performance Management, and Change Management...")
~ About Your Objective (e.g. "...looking for a challenging Talent Development opportunity in the pharmaceutical sector in NJ.")
Write a Professional Profile - With so many people on the market right now, hiring managers are being deluged with resumes. Do you know how to make yours stand out?
>> Fast Start Idea # 7: Have a strong professional profile statement, on the top of page one, right under your name and contact information, that follows this outline:
~ About You Professionally (e.g. "Seasoned HR leader with over 15 years of leadership experience...")
~ About Several of Your Key Capabilities (e.g. "...with key capabilities in...")
~ About A Special Quality or Achievement (e.g. "Author of..." or "Recognized winner of..." or "MBA from...")
Design your Business Card - Do you have a professional business card ready to go when you are networking or interviewing?
>> Fast Start Idea # 8: You can get business cards for free at vistaprint.com or 123print.com. All you pay is shipping and handling.
Terrence H. Seamon is an organization development consultant and coach who provides leadership and team development services to employers in New Jersey. His book Lead the Way explores the challenges of leadership. Additionally, Terry is a job search and career coach whose book To Your Success provides a motivational guide for anyone in transition. His third book, Change for the Better (forthcoming), will provide leaders with a guide to navigating through organizational change. An alumnus of PSG, Terry co-founded and co-moderates the St. Matthias Employment Ministry in Somerset, NJ. He can be reached at thseamon@yahoo.com and via his website:http://about.me/terrenceseamon
>> Fast Start Idea # 5: Set a job search objective that includes Role, Company, and Geography.
Write your Positioning Statement - There are a lot of job hunters on the market right now, some with skills and experiences that are similar to yours. Do you know how to differentiate yourself?
>> Fast Start Idea # 6: When you are asked "Tell me about yourself," be prepared to deliver a positioning statement that goes like this:
~ About You Professionally (e.g. "I am a Human Resources professional with over 15 years experience in leadership roles...")
~ About Several of Your Key Capabilities (e.g "...with key capabilities in Training & Development, Performance Management, and Change Management...")
~ About Your Objective (e.g. "...looking for a challenging Talent Development opportunity in the pharmaceutical sector in NJ.")
Write a Professional Profile - With so many people on the market right now, hiring managers are being deluged with resumes. Do you know how to make yours stand out?
>> Fast Start Idea # 7: Have a strong professional profile statement, on the top of page one, right under your name and contact information, that follows this outline:
~ About You Professionally (e.g. "Seasoned HR leader with over 15 years of leadership experience...")
~ About Several of Your Key Capabilities (e.g. "...with key capabilities in...")
~ About A Special Quality or Achievement (e.g. "Author of..." or "Recognized winner of..." or "MBA from...")
Design your Business Card - Do you have a professional business card ready to go when you are networking or interviewing?
>> Fast Start Idea # 8: You can get business cards for free at vistaprint.com or 123print.com. All you pay is shipping and handling.
Terrence H. Seamon is an organization development consultant and coach who provides leadership and team development services to employers in New Jersey. His book Lead the Way explores the challenges of leadership. Additionally, Terry is a job search and career coach whose book To Your Success provides a motivational guide for anyone in transition. His third book, Change for the Better (forthcoming), will provide leaders with a guide to navigating through organizational change. An alumnus of PSG, Terry co-founded and co-moderates the St. Matthias Employment Ministry in Somerset, NJ. He can be reached at thseamon@yahoo.com and via his website:http://about.me/terrenceseamon
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